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trees with some minor damage to roofs and buildings. WFO Jackson’s average tornado warning lead time was 16.5 minutes.
Forty-six fatalities have been attributed to Katrina in WFO Jackson’s service area. In addition, 568 homes and 102 mobile homes were destroyed, and 5,851 homes suffered significant damage. The State of Mississippi estimates that about one million trees were blown down and more than one million residents in central and eastern Mississippi lost power during Katrina. Wind gusts of 80 to 110 mph were widespread in the southern and eastern portion of WFO Jackson’s service area.
On August 24, WFO Jackson began to provide information on Katrina to their emergency management community. While NHC forecasts kept Katrina well east of Mississippi at this time, WFO Jackson advised emergency managers to monitor the storm. By the morning of August 27, NHC’s forecast brought Katrina directly into WFO Jackson’s service area. Later that day, NHC posted a hurricane watch for the north central Gulf Coast including the coast of Mississippi. WFO Jackson issued a detailed Special Weather Statement that afternoon to raise awareness and recommend preparedness activities:
A LARGE SWATH OF SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS AROUND 60 MILES AN HOUR AND HIGHER...INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 75 MPH... WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER AREAS EAST OF INTERSTATE 55 AND SOUTH OF 1NTERSTATE 20 MONDA YEVENING AND MONDA Y NIGHT. DECIDE WHICH PART OF YOUR HOUSE IS SAFEST AND CREA TE A FAMILY DISASTER PLAN. CHECK YOUR STOCK OF CANNED FOODS...FIRST AID SUPPLIES...DRINKING WATER AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. MAKE PLANS FOR POSSIBLE PROLONGED POWER OUTAGES AND LOSS OF WATER OR OTHER UTILITIES.
On August 28, WFO Jackson issued inland hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings. Their forecasts, warnings, and statements issued throughout the weekend stressed the potential for Katrina to produce significant wind damage well inland and tornadoes. Jeff Mayo, Director of Neshoba County, MS, Emergency Management Agency said as a result of the threats mentioned in the WFO Jackson forecasts, warnings, and statements, the county recommended residents leave mobile homes before the morning of August 29. A number of mobile homes were destroyed by tornadoes in Neshoba County August 29. Jeff Mayo stated that because of the county’s action, based on information provided by WFO Jackson, "...undoubtedly lives were saved."
On the morning of August 29, as Katrina was making landfall in southeast Louisiana, WFO Jackson shifted its focus to short-term warnings, forecasts, and statements such as the following Special Weather Statement issued at 9:25 a.m. CDT:
ANAL YSIS OF DOPPLER RADAR AND SA TELLITE IMA GER YINDICA TES THA T THE NORTH SIDE OF THE DANGEROUS EYEWALL OF KA TR1NA WILL LIKEL Y BE REACHING THE SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THESE COUNTIES BY AROUND MIDDA Y.KATRINA MA YSTILL BE A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE .... WITH WINDS OF 100 TO 120 MPH POSSIBLE. THIS WOULD RESULT IN POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC WIND DAMAGE. TREAT THIS SITUATION AS
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